How do you handle cheaters?

Published

Specializes in Trauma & Emergency.

Alright here is the story in as short and brief terms as possible. One of my classes is taught in a lecture auditorium with about 90 seats and 72 students. Exams are given in this auditorium. It resembles a movie theater with rising rows one section is dead center and their are two sections--one to the right and one to the left. Obviously testing under these conditions is "uncomfortable" to put it in one word because if you want to cheat all you have to do is move your eyes..no looking up or twisting of the head is necessary. Most people have their papers covered like hawks.

It became apparent to me after the exam that multiple people were discussing their cheating habits on the exam and those who didn't even bother to open a book received a grade in the high 90's..and how funny is it that so did the person next to the other. I don't really care about what grade everyone gets..it just bothers me that people are cheating on these types of exams. If they can't answer the questions themselves I don't want them standing over my loved one's bed.

As you can imagine because the room is split into three sections it is impossible for the professor to watch all sides at once. When I was in LPN school they were much more strict about adequate room between those that were testing. At least one empty desk between each student and the class wasn't as large.

My question is..should I keep my mouth shut and keep it moving..or is this something that needs to brought to the professors attention. I think that I should bring it up..but if I had to I would want to bring it up anonymously. How do you guys feel because I am feeling a tad bit enraged at the persistent lack of integrity that is demonstrated amongst my classmates.:angryfire

Thanks in advance for your help.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'd check out your school's honor code. Generally, it says that if you know about cheating and don't report it, you're as guilty of cheating as the cheaters.

It doesn't seem like you actually saw someone cheat....so I would make an appointment to see the Prof during office hours and say what you saw/heard....nothing more and nothing less.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED.

You cant cheat on the Nclex, there loss.......Bottomline

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in VA-BC, CRNI.
You cant cheat on the Nclex, their loss.......Bottomline

Bingo!

Now if you see active cheating you should report it. The threat or plan to cheat I would not consider a reportable offense...its just talk until it occurs.

Again, can't cheat on the Nclex.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Home Care.

Those that cheat are only cheating themselves.

Stop thinking about what the cheaters are doing and concentrate on yourself. What others do are no concern of yours unless they are impacting you.

Most cheaters never graduate anyway and if they do they can't cheat on the NCLEX.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Cheaters in the long run will get the short end of the stick. Cheating is definitely unacceptable! Rest assured nursing test are not something you can cheat on. This information needs to be retained to utilize in their careers. Lack of knowledge will show! Just cover your paper like a hawk and stay focused on yourself. If you report them, it is hard to prove they are cheating anyways, when they could copy from multiple students surrounding them.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

There's no need to prove anything. You're not the lawyer, you're the witness. Your only responsibility is to report what you know (ie someone told you about themselves or you witnessed yourself).

If you do this, than you've fulfilled your responsibility, and the ball is in the court of faculty. My guess is that as it doesn't seem like you witnessed someone cheating for sure....the faculty won't take action on anyone, but just try to change the testing environment to make it more difficult to cheat (ie more proctors, assigned seats, etc).

Blowing it off, as "not my problem" is not the professional choice.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'd report your suspicions, but only about the people who have talked about cheating. The people who never open a book could just be smart/get a lot from lecture or they could be lying about never studying for whatever reason.

At my school there are always 3 versions of every test- same questions and answers but the answer order is shuffled. In such a packed classroom, that seems like it would make a lot of sense for your school.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Dialysis.

I wonder how well they're doing in clinical?? My profs always incorporate a sort of patho review on each person's patient(s) during pre-conference. If someone doesn't have a clue and/or hasn't bothered to review, it's pretty apparent. If someone is just lost or caught off guard, that's one thing (and my profs will help coach them), but they outright don't know their material, that's another- and this will prevent them from passing the class. It's a nice safeguard while providing a good educational experience. :up: My profs are intelligent people and can tell when someone is trying to BS them.

We also have have 2-3 versions of the exam, and there are around 95 of us in most classes. Our largest class is about 200, but this includes the juniors as well as us BATs.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Is it really your buisness?

Are you upset on an ethical level? Or are you upset because you have to work hard for your grades and they're just sliding by? There's always people that are going to slide by, and as it's been said....you cant cheat on the nclex. The situation will resolve itself eventually, so I don't see why you're getting so worked up about it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CVICU.

My pre req nutrition test was is a auditorioum just like yours. There were these girls who sat towards the top and it was OBVIOUS that they were discussing/cheating during the test, The teacher had to be on drugs not to see it. Anyway, during one test, I finally turned around and said VERY loudly, "Mrs Teacher, is this test a group effort or are we expected to do our own work?" Everyone's mouth just dropped, cause everyone knew who I was talking about. The teacher finally got the hint and from there on out the whole class was required to sit 2 chairs apart and she seperated those girls. Send an anon email to your instructor to seperate the cheaters...or be a ***** like me and just call them out on it lol :D

Up Vote Up Vote ×

If I see someone cheating, I immediately catch the profs attention and indicate the cheaters. If I can't catch the profs attention, then I tell them what I saw as soon as I can. My 2nd semester class has a couple who cheated their way through the first semester. Every time I told a prof that I saw them cheat, I got the same response "oh yes, I've (we've) suspected them of that behavior. We will separate them from now on." And this happened as recently as YESTERDAY. With multiple witnesses, and each of us who see the behavior report it. ***?! In my book, if this is a suspicion, then let them do it again, catch them and boot them from the program. Saying you suspect the cheating, and the solution is to prevent them from taking the opportunity to do so, means you KNOW they would cheat again if given the chance. So far I am disappointed in my profs. We got lectured time and time again about a zero tolerance policy, suspected cheating = cheating and that leads to expulsion from the program. As far as I know, no one has been caught, no one has been expelled.

For me, the cheating now, means that you have no integrity and will cheat again, maybe you can't cheat on the NCLEX, but you can get lucky enough to pass, and then you have a license you cheated your way through school to get. I do not want to have these people taking care of me, my family, or being my coworkers. I want nursing school to weed out the people who shouldn't be in the workplace.

Call me naive if you will, but my hope is that the people who cheated their way into the program won't be able to cheat their way out.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion